My Favorite Bouvier Grooming Tools, or Grooming for the Sick, Tired, or Lazy

Show and tell of my favorite grooming tools for my third Bouvier des Flandres. Thinning and combing implements: Mars Coat Kings, Mat Rake, a cheap slicker brush (that's the red plastic one I can't remember the name for), and a wide-tooth steel comb; shears and clippers: the Andis ProClip AGC2 clipper and the Oster TDQ blade (and the Oster size 30 blade, not "30 inch blade"!), Michel Tisserand's Diamond Line 4.5" curved, round-tip scissors, Image Tech 7" straight shears. Plus a cameo by the Tick Removal Forceps, my favorite tick removal tool. This video accompanies this blog post: http://sharonwachsler.com/a-spoonies-guide-to-dog-grooming/

These are some of my favorite grooming tools.

These are all Mars Coat Kings.

These are the ones I use the most often.

They're the coarsest you can get

which means they have the fewest blades

This is a double wide.

This is the original.

I've had this since 1999 and it still works awesome.

I got this one to try a medium

and it's just....Barnum's coat is too thick

So I don't use that one very much.

But I'll show you what they do

because here the curved part is actually a blade

So it's cutting the hair.

I'll show you on my hair.

Cuz I need a haircut anyway.

So when you go like this, through the dog's coat

Oh, you can't really tell...

You're actually cutting the hair...

And not just...Hmm.

Well, my hair is coming off but you can't see it!

So, you're brushing it...

but you're also like....

OK, so there you go.

That's my hair...that just got cut.

Not normally how I cut my hair!

These are kind of costly

but they last forever.

This is like $3

and it's one of the few grooming tools

I've bought that was cheap

and was still worthwhile.

And that's just....I've forgotten what this is called.

Oh well, it'll come back to me.

This is a rake. It's really good for Bouviers

and other dogs that have curly hair that mats easily

But in order to get down to the fur

once it's long in the winter

you need to thin it out first

using something like a thinning item like a Coat King.

This also works really well.

This is an Oster stainless steel comb

Once again for when his hair is really long,

but in order to get it through first you need to have thinned it out somewhat.

So that's the stuff for combing.

These are the tick forceps

which I have a review of elsewhere.

These are the best tick removal tools there is.

For cutting I have two shears that I use.

This is Image Tech.

I couldn't find it online.

I think it's similar to Aussie Shears.

It's Japanese stainless steel.

They're really easy. They move really easily.

They have this screw here

which you can loosen or tighten

depending on how easily you want to be able to cut with them

I use these for all the basic cutting.

Then I have these. They're curved.

And they have a blunt -- a round tip for safety.

So you can use it on his face or between his toes...

on his paws...

This has a screw which you can tighten or loosen.

Again, they're really light,

they're really easy to use.

They're Michel Tisserand's Diamond Line

I happen to have the box they came in.

These are 4.5" curved ball tips

that were $47.79.

And they're awesome.

And both of these scissors need to be sharpened periodically

But they hold their blade pretty well.

And my favorite...

blade...

Clipper blade...

Is the T.D.Q

The Oster T.D.Q. wide blade.

TDQ stands for "Take Down Quick"

If you look at it in comparison to the size of a normal blade

You can see it's much wider

That means you can get a lot more hair off all at once.

It's a coarse blade.

It's just intended to do exactly what it says

which is take off as much hair

as fast as you want to.

That's the front.

This is the back.

And this is a 30" blade

That's what I use for between his toes.

If you want, like, bald, use a 30" blade.

Don't use it on a part of your dog

that's not being shaved for veterinary purposes

or between his toes

because it will make him bald.

And these I love.

These are the Andis...

Here's the box they came in...

ProClip AGC2.

They make very little noise.

They don't vibrate very hard.

They cut really well.

All Andis and Oster blades

as far as I know

are interchangeable.

You can check with them.

I use to use the Oster A5 or Golden A5.

It's not a bad clipper.

But these are so much better.

So, that's my accumulated experience

of a dozen-plus years

in dog grooming!